Marie Miller | 1907-2013

Lakeland Aviator Marie Miller, Philanthropist, Dies at 105

Published: Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 3:50 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 3:50 a.m.

LAKELAND | Marie Miller, an aviator and philanthropist said to have hobnobbed with Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart before launching a career in civilian airport operations, including training Air Force pilots, died at her Lakeland home Monday. She was 105.

The Nebraska native retired to Lakeland in 1974 with her second husband and business partner, Truman W. Miller, who died in 2004. Together they built Serv-Air Corp., running a number of civilian air bases in Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas.

The couple became widely known in Polk County for their gifts to numerous charities, including Alliance for Independence, Volunteers in Service To the Elderly and Sun 'n Fun, the Lakeland-based nonprofit that operates a museum and air show.

Truman Miller served on Sun 'n Fun's board of directors during its early years. As members of the organization's Pioneer Club, the couple were fixtures at the annual Fly-In air show and were instrumental in creating Sun 'n Fun's OX-5 club house, reserved for pilots who piloted aircraft powered by Curtiss OX-5 engines built before 1940.

"Marie put a lot of time in that," said Duffy Thompson, a member of Sun 'n Fun's board. "She was a great gal."

Though blind and deaf in her latter years, the pint-sized Miller loved to tell friends how she was, for awhile, the only person Lucky Lindy trusted to do his laundry.

Whenever Lindbergh would use a laundromat he rarely got all of his clothes back, said Suzy Eickhoff, a friend of Miller's. "So she would take his laundry home and do it," she said. "She was the sweetest lady, a little ball of fire."

A mother of three, Miller outlived her only son, Truman W. Miller II, a commercial pilot who died in May. She is survived by two daughters, Carolyn Oglesby of Lakeland and Patricia Moore of Greenville, N.C. She leaves four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Born June 11, 1907, to Mary and Otto Herman, Miller became entranced with aviation at the age of 9. Years later, reminiscing to fourth-graders at Lakeland's Griffin Elementary School, Miller said she once tried to take flight from the top of a foot stool and hurt her nose.

In 1927 at the age of 20, Miller took flight lessons while working at New York's Curtiss Field. There she met Lindbergh, who used the field to ready for his historic flight.

Speaking in 1991 to the students at Griffin Elementary, Miller described Lindbergh as quiet and unassuming.

She later told a Ledger reporter that "Amelia Earhart gave me my first and only helicopter ride. I hated it."

Widowed in 1939, Miller managed Raleigh Municipal Airport in North Carolina. One of her hires, Truman Miller, an engineer for the Civil Aeronautics Administration, became her second husband.

Together they launched a business training pilots under government contracts with the Air Force. One such contract brought the couple to Bartow in 1959. The training school closed a year later and they relocated to Oklahoma, but they maintained a home in Lakeland.

Gay Ratcliff, president emeritus and director of community relations for the Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center, befriended Marie Miller, who sought the center's services after retiring here in 1974 and later became a regular benefactor.

Miller was unusually giving, Ratcliff said, and you had to be careful when paying her a compliment.

One such remark nearly earned Ratcliff a diamond Rolex.

"She said, ‘Would you like it?'" Ratcliff recalled, laughing. "She was just a dear person."

Services for Miller will be held Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Lakeland.

Visitation is from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by the service and burial at Oak Hill Burial Park.

[ Eric Pera can be reached at eric.pera@theledger.com or 863-802-7528. ]

<p>LAKELAND | Marie Miller, an aviator and philanthropist said to have hobnobbed with Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart before launching a career in civilian airport operations, including training Air Force pilots, died at her Lakeland home Monday. She was 105.</p><p>The Nebraska native retired to Lakeland in 1974 with her second husband and business partner, Truman W. Miller, who died in 2004. Together they built Serv-Air Corp., running a number of civilian air bases in Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas.</p><p>The couple became widely known in Polk County for their gifts to numerous charities, including Alliance for Independence, Volunteers in Service To the Elderly and Sun 'n Fun, the Lakeland-based nonprofit that operates a museum and air show.</p><p>Truman Miller served on Sun 'n Fun's board of directors during its early years. As members of the organization's Pioneer Club, the couple were fixtures at the annual Fly-In air show and were instrumental in creating Sun 'n Fun's OX-5 club house, reserved for pilots who piloted aircraft powered by Curtiss OX-5 engines built before 1940.</p><p>"Marie put a lot of time in that," said Duffy Thompson, a member of Sun 'n Fun's board. "She was a great gal."</p><p>Though blind and deaf in her latter years, the pint-sized Miller loved to tell friends how she was, for awhile, the only person Lucky Lindy trusted to do his laundry.</p><p>Whenever Lindbergh would use a laundromat he rarely got all of his clothes back, said Suzy Eickhoff, a friend of Miller's. "So she would take his laundry home and do it," she said. "She was the sweetest lady, a little ball of fire."</p><p>A mother of three, Miller outlived her only son, Truman W. Miller II, a commercial pilot who died in May. She is survived by two daughters, Carolyn Oglesby of Lakeland and Patricia Moore of Greenville, N.C. She leaves four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.</p><p>Born June 11, 1907, to Mary and Otto Herman, Miller became entranced with aviation at the age of 9. Years later, reminiscing to fourth-graders at Lakeland's Griffin Elementary School, Miller said she once tried to take flight from the top of a foot stool and hurt her nose.</p><p>In 1927 at the age of 20, Miller took flight lessons while working at New York's Curtiss Field. There she met Lindbergh, who used the field to ready for his historic flight.</p><p>Speaking in 1991 to the students at Griffin Elementary, Miller described Lindbergh as quiet and unassuming.</p><p>She later told a Ledger reporter that "Amelia Earhart gave me my first and only helicopter ride. I hated it."</p><p>Widowed in 1939, Miller managed Raleigh Municipal Airport in North Carolina. One of her hires, Truman Miller, an engineer for the Civil Aeronautics Administration, became her second husband.</p><p>Together they launched a business training pilots under government contracts with the Air Force. One such contract brought the couple to Bartow in 1959. The training school closed a year later and they relocated to Oklahoma, but they maintained a home in Lakeland.</p><p>Gay Ratcliff, president emeritus and director of community relations for the Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center, befriended Marie Miller, who sought the center's services after retiring here in 1974 and later became a regular benefactor.</p><p>Miller was unusually giving, Ratcliff said, and you had to be careful when paying her a compliment.</p><p>One such remark nearly earned Ratcliff a diamond Rolex.</p><p>"She said, 'Would you like it?'" Ratcliff recalled, laughing. "She was just a dear person."</p><p>Services for Miller will be held Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Lakeland.</p><p>Visitation is from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by the service and burial at Oak Hill Burial Park.</p><p> </p><p>[ Eric Pera can be reached at eric.pera@theledger.com or 863-802-7528. ]</p>